Food

More Tastes of Saskatchewan

Food

More Tastes of Saskatchewan

This September in Canadian Living, we visit Saskatchewan in our Cross Canada Cooks series. Here is a glimpse of the good eats I enjoyed in Saskatchewan that you didn't get to see in the pages of our magazine. My visit to a John and Shirley Bennett's farm gave me a memorable and mouth watering taste of Prairie food and pulses galore. I visited them as a part of a fact finding trip of the provinces top crops - pulses. I learned about pulses, but more than that, I learned about good old warm and genuine Western hospitality. As an added bonus John took me on my first tractor ride! After the tour, lunch was served to a hungry and happy group of journalists. [caption id="attachment_2227" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="A first hand look at the fields from John Bennett's tractor"]
[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2225" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Breadsticks and Chickpea Dip"]
[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2228" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Carving the roast beef for lunch"]
[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2229" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="My wholesome farm lunch "]
[/caption] And lunch is never complete without dessert, [caption id="attachment_2230" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Saskatoon Berry Cobbler with Ice Cream "]
[/caption] You can find the recipe for this cobbler, homemade mustard and a delicious chickpea dip, supplied by chef Moe Matthieu in September 2011 Canadian Living.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Fashion

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

We’ve all been there, you know, scrambling at the 11th hour to get an extra-special present for someone important on your list. These last-minute gifts are so thoughtful, they’ll never know you just picked it up.

Slideshow

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

All about that bass

If you’ve exhausted your options for a gift for that special guy in your life—because he’s either too picky or has almost everything—consider a portable Bose speaker. This one is water-resistant (great for camping and hiking), has full-range sound and is durable and simple to use. Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth® Speaker II, $181.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Wine charm

Most ornaments go on sale in early December, so this is the kind of gift that’s perfect to pick up last minute because it will actually save you money. Sweeten the deal and give an ornament hanging from a bottle of wine. Glitterville Antler Ornament, $7.50.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

The crowd pleaser

Still missing a gift for your Mother-in-law or your dear aunt that always bakes you fruit cake? Head to Shoppers Drug Mart and give her the gift of Amazing Grace. This best selling fragrance from beauty brand Philosophy smells clean and beautifully feminine with a powdery floral air of sophistication and polish. This collection includes Eau de Toilette, shampoo, bath and shower gel and whipped body crème.Amazing Grace Holiday Set, $60.

You’ve got mail

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Sock it to them

Need a gift ASAP, but don’t have time to leave the house? Simple, order online and give the gift that keeps on giving with a new pair of socks every month, for a year! These vibrant and graphic socks are available for both men and women. One pair every six months, $78. One pair for a year, $146.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Lit up

Need a little something special for your child’s teacher or your next door neighbour? Pick up a tin Voluspa candle. The packaging is beautiful and the two wicks give off a rich glow. This scent smells of sweet apricots muddled withs superfine sugar and crisp Prosecco. Voluspa Prosecco Bellini Two Wick Tin, $16.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Grab & go

There are few places that are open on Christmas day, but Starbucks is one of them. If you’re on your way to your holiday dinner and realized you forgot something for that caffeine loving cousin of yours, make a pitstop at your local Starbucks and grab one of their festive drinkware cups. We love the ceramic sweater cup with a swivel lid. Sweater double wall traveler, $27.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Hostess bait

Headed to one of your besties for your annual friends holiday dinner and need something clever to bring? Gift something useful and beautiful with a little bit of whimsy, like this marble cheese board. Crafted from creamy white marble, the cool surface is ideal for serving cheese and charcuterie. Expressions marble and copper cheese board, $37.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Sleep easy

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Teen pleaser

Need something for your teenage niece, but have absolutely no idea what she’s into? Whether she’s artistic, sporty, goth or one of the "popular girls" at her high school she’ll be into something from NYX Cosmetics. We especially love these palettes, choose from one of seven that houses eight shades of shadow and one liquid matte lipstick. NYX Cosmetics Wanderlust Lip & Eye Collection, $25.

Get crafty with these stylish (and free!) knitting patterns

Slideshow

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Alder headband knitting pattern

This Alpaca headband's soft, thick yarn and easy pattern make it a satisfying quick knit. The headband is designed using a simple two-by-two rib pattern with a unique twist. And it's so practical as an ear warmer, you might be tempted to make it in several winter colours.

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Sundew Hat pom-pom beanie

Quick to knit and extra-cozy, the Sundew Hat is the perfect cold-weather accessory. Whether you are looking to knit a thoughtful last-minute gift or your own quintessential hat, the Sundew Hat is a crowd-pleasing favourite with its classic design and soft texture.

Medallion Mittens

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Ellenesque Felted Bowl knitting pattern

The Ellenesque Bowls are a practical and stylish solution to all your storage needs. Knitting your own bowl is an easy way to create the perfect size vessel for any purpose, and you can choose from a variety of colour options in our Merino Copito yarn to match your home décor.

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Knit a stylish winter headband

On those cold, wintry days when you need something warm around your face, grab your knitting needles, hibernate for a weekend and knit up The Stone and Arrow Winter Set. Designed in bulky yarn, The Arrow Headband and The Stone Scarf come together in a snap.

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Stone Scarf knitting pattern

The Stone Scarf got its name from its 3D texture, created by alternating knits and purls, that resembles a stonewall. The quirky stone-like bumps are tempered by a garter-stitch border and a slipped selvedge for a tidy edge.

Culture & Entertainment

Hygge: The Art of "Finding Magic in the Ordinary"

Culture & Entertainment

Hygge: The Art of "Finding Magic in the Ordinary"

Think about some of your warmest memories—drinking wine and reminiscing with girlfriends, chatting with your mom while she whips up a batch of your favourite muffins, having a dinner date that leads to cocktails that leads to stargazing by the water because neither of you want the night to end—that’s hygge. It’s finding happiness in the every day, and all you need to be able to attain it is to know about it.

Some say the Danish word is pronounced “hooga” but according to Marie Tourell Søderberg, author of Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness, it’s like this: The “y” is similar to the French “y” sound—think “huge,” and the “gge” sounds like the first syllable in “girl.” But, it doesn’t really matter how you say "hygge"—you just need to get it. And to get it, you need to know where it comes from.

Hygge originates from a Norwegian word that means “well-being,” and in English, it means “coziness,” but it’s much more than that. Hygge is appreciating the little things in life. It’s “all the small things that make us feel safe, loved and satisfied,” says Søderberg. Hygge is doing things with warmth and joy, being present in the moment, and having a feeling of home—in other words, the Danish way of life.

Denmark is ranked as one of the happiest nations in the world, and hygge is likely an “ingredient in the Danish recipe for happiness,” says author Meik Wiking in his book, The Little Book of Hygge. Compared to other Europeans, Danes “meet most often with their friends and family and feel the calmest and most peaceful.” And that’s why there’s a growing interest in hygge.

Books on the subject are quickly filling up store shelves—a simple Indigo search will pull up more than five books on hygge, all of which have come out in the later half of 2016 (including Søderberg’s and Wiking’s) or will be coming out in the early months of 2017—just in time for winter, which is pretty much the reason why hygge exists.

In her book, Søderberg says, “It originated due to the need to create joy, warmth and togetherness in a country that boasts long, cold winters”—something Canadians can relate to. Hygge encourages you to embrace the cold months instead of waiting for the sun to shine again. But, anyone, anywhere, can enjoy the benefits of hygge any time of year, as it’s all about sharing moments with those you love, indulging in comfort foods, and taking in the sights and sounds around you.

Understanding hygge and having a name for it helps you recognize it and look for it in your day-to-day life. “Including it in our daily narratives and language makes us aware of the qualities of the word. Saying, ‘let’s hygge tonight,’ states a clear intention of what qualities we want our evening to have—presence, lovingness, relaxed, informal—all these qualities in one word,” says Søderberg.

Intimate candlelit dinner parties, mulled wine by a fire and ice skating under twinkling lights are classic hygge moments, but it can also be found when you're not expecting it. Hygge can happen in the least hyggelig (the adjective form of “hygge”) locations or in those in-between moments throughout your day—like when you're hiding from the rain under an awning with a friend, listening to a sax player as you wait for the next subway to arrive, or laughing with your sister over the phone.

Although hygge can happen anywhere, the most common place for it is at home, so it helps to make your living quarters feel warm, safe and welcoming—think candles, warm textiles and plenty of personal touches. In Søderberg’s book, she shares decorating advice from Nordic interior design expert Christina B. Kjeldsen: “The hygge comes when you feel that the person behind the surroundings is completely comfortable with his or her choices, but at the same time isn’t afraid of decorating intuitively and trying out new things and ideas…When you put thoughtfulness into how and why you have chosen to surround yourself with particular furniture, objects, art, flowers, knick-knacks, curtains—whatever—then you relax and your guests will see and know you for who you are.”

But, it’s important not to feel pressure to create a perfect space or occasion and force hygge. Decorate your space for you and not how you think it should be, and let moments unfold naturally—something that can be all too rare in this social media age. Søderberg warns, “The most hyggelig evening can look like a disaster in a picture, and opposite—the least hyggelig can look like a perfect evening.” But, if you have a true hyggling moment, it’ll be a “piece of art to capture the exact sense of an atmosphere in a photo.”

So, keep hygge on your mind. Make plans to hygge, be present in every moment, and soak up life's glories. And if you do, you’ll be gifted with the ability to, as Søderberg says, “[find] the magic in the ordinary.”

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

Winter Wonderland

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

For the Little Fashionista

Joe Fresh's new collection of sweet and stylish jewellery for kids features bright and hypoallergenic pieces inspired by travel, nature and friendship. New and exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. Starting at $6.

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

The Christmas "It Toy"

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

Sparkling Stocking Stuffers

Joe Fresh's new collection of sweet and stylish jewellery for kids features bright and hypoallergenic pieces inspired by travel, nature and friendship. New and exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. Starting at $8.​

Baby Doll

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

On the Fly

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

Merry and Bright Bracelets

Joe Fresh's new collection of sweet and stylish jewellery for kids features bright and hypoallergenic pieces inspired by travel, nature and friendship. New and exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. Starting at $6.